SoloAlaska

There are some big wood benches if you have to wait for your bus. I got off at 6 and had to wait a little for the first bus.

Story I heard someone had mining or core samples or something in a carry on and it weighed over 70lb. After that incident I started hearing talk of limits coming into place and possible enforcement. I think my heaviest carry on was 38lb but that is really pushing the envelope of reasonable weight.

I don’t when travelling solo except for a small magnet if my room is on a long hallway. For my upcoming family cruise I have cute graphics I’ll make into door decor. For Christmas I used the same graphics and made cute zippered bags filled with my favorite cruise essentials (luggage tag holders, towel bands, magnet hooks, magnet clips, pooporri, outlet splitter etc) and each had their name on it. Next Christmas will be room signs customized to who’s staying in which room plus some other essentials like Dramamine, packing lists and maybe even matching tshirts.

The only excursions I know of in Alaska that have to be booked through the cruise line is Icy Straight Point.

Royal is the master of the expensive theme parks at sea. I don’t care for theme parks much especially not for a week plus non stop. Royal can keep pricing however it wants because a lot of people want that product but thankfully other lines offer different experiences. Now with that said cruising has jumped in price since I started 2 years ago. Deals are harder to find.

The cooler is like a mini fridge but doesn’t guarantee perfect temperature. You’ll be fine leaving milk in it for a day but you don’t want to leave your insulin in it for a week.

I have both sets depending with what line I’m cruising. Love these so much I included them in my Christmas gifts for everyone this year since we are taking a big family cruise next year.

Woman, in your top. Man, in your pocket. Or with your other stuff like your coverup and sandals.

Some airlines have much lower max weights for carry ons, as low as 15lb. Air Canada says there is no limit as long as you can lift it unassisted but that’s not quite the truth. The issue is someone was severely injured once by a VERY heavy bag in the overhead compartment, reasonable limits are in place for a reason.

Good luggage scale is also my saviour. When I travel on business my luggage is 48.6 to 49.7lb and the staff at air canada are always impressed. These are massive pelican cases and heavy even when empty so the agents usually see these overweight but mine never are. I couldn’t fly with any airline that was 40lb max for work trips. for personal trips I stick to airlines that aren’t going to weigh my carry on. The max by federal regulation is 35lb for carry ons in Canada.

I met someone on a TA that had done months in Europe and a 15 night cruise with just a personal item. It was really impressive. Next cruise I am camping and cruising in Alaska in September with a carry on and personal item. Can’t quite limit myself to personal item only but it is definitely possible.

Actually the pricing is up to 5x more for solos on some itineraries. This has been going on for months. Certain categories are only available at double occupancy and solos don’t have access to it. I had fallen in love with celebrity as well but with the changes and it being clear solos aren’t really welcome I am not cruising with them for the foreseeable future.

I do my “virtual packing” months ahead. I use a template for 5-4-3-2-1 packing which I made. This virtual packing makes me realize any pieces I may be missing or which may need to be replaced and gives me time to replace them. I sew much of my own clothing so time is important. My trip to Alaska is over 30 weeks away and I was going to only have 2 pairs of shoes till I stumbled upon a pattern to make my own leather shoes which would be perfect. I can’t make a new pair of shoes the night before so planning is key. The physical packing starts about a week before usually.

January was a harder month for me than December believe it or not. It was a lonely month. Last week I injured myself (stupid accident) by stabbing myself in the leg with a box cutter so I’ve been very limited on what I can do and can’t hit the gym till the wound heals. I booked my next cruise which will be Alaska in September. 33 weeks to go which makes it physically possible to be at my goal weight by then. Really honestly though chances are I’ll be close but not quite there. So far I’ve lost 47 lb in 32 weeks. My goal is to loose at least another 38 lb but the rate at which I’m loosing is slowing. Loosing 85-95 lb takes time but I’m halfway woohoo.

Some of us always have a flight to get to a cruise port. I’ve had enough lost luggage since the restart and luggage fees are bordering on absurd now. Carry on only isn’t for everyone but it’s very possible for some of us to be happy with. The woman with just swimsuits honestly probably only needed her purse. It’s not that hard to fit a weeks worth of clothing in a carry on and send out laundry if your out longer. If your at home you’ll do laundry regularly and sending it out on the ship is cheaper than paying for luggage with the airline.

Walker talkies are absolutely banned. If you try to bring them onboard you would have your luggage held at security and be sent to the “naughty room”. 8 and 10 are way too young to be left alone. Fellow passengers should not have to deal with your unsupervised children. Would you let your young children go to the store, grab dinner at a restaurant, go to the pool and explore a random small town on their own? Consider these are thousands of strangers and not your trusted Neighbour’s onboard. It’s up to you to keep them safe but also controlled so they don’t interfere with others enjoyments of their vacation.

Dinner only. I was on a TA from Rome to NY in December and it wasn’t open at lunch for any of the days. It’s a great spot though to play games and was set up with coffee and I think pastries sometimes as well during the day and a stack of board games.

I was happy to have a local driving who knew the road. We hit a section of nasty fog and I felt more comfortable having a driver who knew those hills like the back of their hand at the wheel. They know where the nasty blind spots are but also let you know ahead for beautiful scenery.

Calling it a warehouse makes the building sound a lot bigger than it is. Imagine more like a small plane hanger. The hardest part of disembarking will be the elevator from your floor to the gangway. You walk maybe 100m outside and through the building and you’re done. The question is what are you planning after? Are you staying in Seward or taking a transfer? The port area is dirt and not so great of a walk into town if you have rolling luggage especially. There is a free shuttle into town but I’m not sure what the hours are for that.

Excursions can be stupid expensive in Alaska but you also don’t need to do excursions at every port. Most ships dock right downtown and you can walk off and enjoy town very easily. If you’re outdoorsy and active some ports have great hikes as well. For example in Juneau it would be cheaper as a family of three to book a taxi tour to Mendenhall where they drop you off for however long you want and pick you back up at a pre arranged time. There’s a interpretive center there and a nice walk to the waterfall along with other things you can see like the glacier in the distance. Are you looking at doing a one way cruise? If so keep in mind transfers start at about $70 USD each. Also if you’re looking at a southbound I am warning you of sticker shock at hotel prices in Anchorage. A northbound may be cheaper since you wouldn’t have to spend a night in a hotel in Alaska and can take a transfer and hop on a flight back to Vancouver quite easily. I do recommend choosing the transfer with the wildlife center it’s a pretty cool spot and I’m sure your kid would love it.

Are the hiking boots comfortable? A light hiking shoe is great for around town in Alaska and all sorts of excursions. Honestly you’ll see people wearing them to the MDR on a regular bases as well too. Are you only planning on bringing the one pair of shoes?

Celebrity M class is a great ship size wise and perfect for relaxing. The entertainment on the smaller ships isn’t quite as good as the bigger newer ships however. Also I recommend sticking with traditional dinning which is a perfect way to come together on a nightly basis.

What does the couple like, what line will fit them? 4-5 days on some lines will be a big party. I like my cruises to be at least 8 days because it gives me the vibe I want. What destination type are they into? What type of service do they expect? Do they want to dress up or are they casual? there are so many questions that need answers in order to find the right cruise for someone. I a have friends who I would only recommend Celebrity to and others I know RCI will be a better fit but personally I am enjoying NCL for myself right now. There’s a line for everyone. For cruises I think it’s nice to experience one or two sea days but not much more unless they are looking to spend a good part of their vacation with a book in hand.

With RCI having non refundable deposits this is when a TA can be handy with access to refundable deposits. Our booking is for 12 people and the price was very slightly better per cabin than booking directly plus the deposits are refundable.

Unfortunately the website says some may still have wool lined insoles. I’ll have to confirm which ones won’t. So happy they have wool free options now. These went viral pre pandemic in my industry but wool was the only option.